Nov 22, Colombo: There is a foreign hand behind the decision to nominate former government minister and the general secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala as the common opposition candidate, the new general secretary of the party Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa says.

Addressing a SLFP media briefing held at the party headquarters in Colombo today, Minister Yapa said the foreign forces which are not happy to see a stable government in Sri Lanka are behind the move to create political instability in the country.

Speaking to media Minister Treasurer of SLFP Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said certain countries through their embassies have pumped money into this foreign conspiracy to establish a puppet government in Sri Lanka and warned such forces to stop their campaigns.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva addressing the media said it is not a new thing that general secretaries of political parties switch sides and asked the real party loyalists not to let these conspirators destroy the party.

He emphasized that under the President Mahinda Rajapaksa's leadership the party has been victorious and asked the members not to forget those victories.

The Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne has recently said that 28 government ministers and MPs are ready make the switch to opposition.